UNITED STATES LAND OFFICES IN ALABAMA ~ FROM 1803 TO 1820
This data accounts for the several
land districts fixed at different periods in the first 75 years of the state's
history.
Copied from Alabama Historical Quarterly, Vol. 17, 1955, prepared in 1935 by
Evelyn Bush.
Huntsville Land District
(Old Madison County): Extended South two Townships south of the original
division line, and East to about Range line 5 east of the Huntsville Meridian
line. This District embodied all tire Northern section of the State except the
Cherokee and Creek Nations on the east, and the Chickasaw Nation on the west.
Provided for by Act, March 3, 1807. The Huntsville Office was opened July 27,
1810. Originally established at Nashville, Tennessee and subsequently at
Twickenham. Office removed from Nashville by Act, February 11, 1811.
Cahaba Land District
(Conecuh Court House): Extended North from line 31 Degrees North Latitude to
Township line 22 on the St. Stephens' meridian line. The Southern boundary from
Range line 4 east of the St Stephens' Meridian line on line 31 Degrees North
Latitude to the Chattahoochee River. The Northern boundary line extended from
Range line 4 east of the St. Stephens' Meridian line on Township line 22, on the
St. Stephens' Meridian line, to Range line 15 East of the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, (where it touches the Coosa River) thence down the Coosa River to the
falls at Wetumpka, and from there along the boundary line of the Creek Nation as
fixed by the treaty of Fort Jackson, August 9, 1814. Provided for by Act, March
3, 1815. Office opened October 10, 1818. (Originally located at Milledgeville,
Georgia.) Moved to Cahaba on June 1, 1819. Date of first entry at Milledgeville,
August 4, 1817.
St. Stephens' Land District
(Part of Land District East of Pearl River): Embodied all the land north from
the line 31 Degrees North Latitude to Township line 22 on the St. Stephens'
Meridian line, and West from the Cahaba Land District boundary line to the State
boundary line. Provided for by Act, March 3, 1803. Office opened September,
1811.
Jackson Court House Land District
Embodied all the land south of the line 31 Degrees North Latitude, from the
Perdido River west to the State boundary line.
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICES IN ALABAMA ~ FROM 1820 TO
1832
Huntsville Land District
Embodied all the land North of Township line 14 on the Huntsville Meridian
line, East to about Range line 5 east of the Huntsville Meridian line (the
boundary line of the Cherokee Nation), and west to the boundary line of the
Chickasaw Nation.
Tuscaloosa Land District
Embodied all the land North of Township line 14 on the Huntsville Meridian line
to the second Township line South of the original Survey division line, and from
the present State boundary line on the west to the State boundary line on the
east. Provided for by Act, May 11, 1820. First entry was made July 2, 1821.
The Creek Lands east of the Coosa River being ceded to the United States by the
treaty of Cusseta (at Washington) March 24, 1832. The land west of the Coosa
River was taken from the Huntsville Land District thus forming the Tuscaloosa
Land District.
Sparta Land District
(Conecuh Court House): Embodied all the land South of Township line 5 on the St.
Stephens' Meridian line-the boundary line extending to Range line 20, east of
St. Stephens' Meridian line and North along Range line 20 to Township line 11 on
the St. Stephens' Meridian line, then East along Township line 11 to the State
boundary line, then South to line 31 Degrees North Latitude. The western
boundary line being formed by the St. Stephens' Land District boundary line. The
section of land south of line 31 Degrees North Latitude, west of the Perdido
River to Range line 4, east of the St. Stephens' Meridian line was included in
this District. Provided for by Act, May 11, 1820. Office opened August 1, 1822.
St. Stephens' Land District
Embodied all the land from Township line 22, North on the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, South to the Gulf of Mexico, and West from the Cahaba and Sparta Land
Districts (Range line 4, East of St. Stephens' Meridian line) to the State
boundary line on the west.
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICES IN ALABAMA ~ FROM 1832 TO
1842
Huntsville Land District
Embodied all the land North of Township line 14, South on the Huntsville
Meridian line; West to the Chickasaw Nation and East to the boundary line of the
Cherokee Nation.
Tuscaloosa Land District
Embodied all the land south of the Huntsville District (Township line 14 on the
Huntsville Meridian line) and including two Townships South of the original
division line; from the State boundary line on the West to the Coosa River on
the East.
Montevallo (Coosa) Land District
Embodied all the land South of about Township line 13, on the Huntsville
Meridian line (Southern boundary of the Cherokee Nation) to the original
division line, and from the Coosa River on the West to the State boundary line
on the east. Office opened, December 20, 1833, was provided for by Act, July 10,
1832. Moved to Mardisville in 1834.
Demopolis Land District
Embodied all the land South of Township line 22, North of St. Stephens' on the
St. Stephens' Meridian line, South to Township line 10 on the St. Stephens'
Meridian line; East to Range line 9, east of the St. Stephens' Meridian line,
and West to the State boundary line. (This was probably the original boundary
lines. Other lines extend from Township line 22, South of St. Stephens' on the
St. Stephens' Meridian line, South to Township line 11 on the St. Stephens'
Meridian line. From Range line 5 east of St. Stephens' Meridian line, and West
to the State boundary line.) The District being formed out of the Western part
of the Cahaba, and the Northern part of the St. Stephens' Land Districts.
Provided for by Act, March 2, 1833; first entry made July 15, 1833.
Cahaba Land District
Embodied all the land South from Township line 22, North of St. Stephens' on the
St. Stephens' Meridian line, to the Sparta Land District. The boundary lines on
the west being formed by the Demopolis and the St. Stephens' Land Districts, and
on the east along the boundary line of the old Creek Nation as fixed by the
treaty of Fort Jackson.
Montgomery (Tallapoosa) Land District
Embodied all the land in the old Creek Nation South of the original division
line. Created by Act, July 10, 1832. Office opened January 1, 1834.
Cahaba Land District
Cahaba Land District Office was moved to Greenville on June 15, 1856.
Sparta Land District
Sparta Land District Office was moved to Elba on April 1, 1854.
St. Stephens' Land District
Embodied all the land South of Township line 10, on the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, to the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west from the State boundary line to
Range line 4, East of the St. Stephens' Meridian line, on the east.
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICES IN ALABAMA ~ FROM 1842 TO
1868
Huntsville Land District
Included all the land West of the Cherokee and Creek Nations to the
Mississippi State line as far South as Township line 14, Huntsville Meridian
Survey. The section North of the Tennessee River extending from Range line 4,
south 12 miles, east 6 miles, thence south 18 miles being added by Executive
Order, March 17, 1858. The eastern boundary being the Mardisville Land District
line, which is formed by the Coosa River, Little Canoe Creek, and the Tennessee
River. Provided for by Act, March 2, 1942.
Mardisville Land District
Embodied all the land South of the Tennessee River to the original division line
(Township line 22 on the Huntsville Meridian line), and east of the Huntsville
and Tuscaloosa Land Districts boundaries, to the State line. Office opened
January, 1834. Moved to Lebanon on April 12, 1842 - opened April 19, 1842; moved
to Centre and opened on August 1, 1856; moved to Huntsville, March 30, 1866 and
then to Montgomery, May 26, 1866.
Tuscaloosa Land District
Included all the land South of Township line 14, on the Huntsville Meridian
line, extending two Townships South of the original division line; East to the
Coosa River and West to the State boundary line. Moved to Montgomery, March 30,
1866.
Demopolis Land District
Embodied all the land South of Township line 23, on the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, to Township line 10, on the St. Stephens' Meridian line, and from the
western boundary line of the State East to Range line 9, east of the St.
Stephens' Meridian line. Was moved to Montgomery, March 30, 1866.
Greenville Land District
Embodied all the land South from Township line 22, on the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, to Township line 5 on the St. Stephens' Meridian line. Bounded on the West
by the Demopolis and St. Stephens' Land Districts. The Eastern boundary from the
Coosa River along the boundary line of the old Creek Nation to Township line 11,
Range line 24, east on the St. Stephens' Meridian line; the Southern boundary
line being formed by the Northern and Western boundaries of the Elba Land
District, about the head of the Pea River. Includes the old Cahaba Land
District. Office opened on June 16, 1856, and moved to Montgomery, March 30,
1866.
Montgomery Land District
Includes all the land South of the original division line extending East from
the boundary lines of the Greenville and the Elba land Districts to the State
boundary line - much of the old Creek Nation (lower).
Elba Land District
Includes all the land south of the Greenville Land District boundaries, to line
31 Degrees North Latitude. East, from the St. Stephens' Land District boundary
line (Range 4, east on the St. Stephens' Meridian line) to the State boundary
line on the east. Office opened on April 1, 1854, moved to Montgomery, April 11,
1867. The section of land South of line 31 Degrees North Latitude, bounded by
the Perdido River, (State line) on the east to Range line 4, east of the St.
Stephens' Meridian line, on the west. Office moved to Mobile March 3, 18--.
The Greenville, Elba, and part of the Demopolis Land Districts were formed out
of the old Cahaba District.
St. Stephens' Land District
Embodies all the land South of Township line 10, on the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, to the Gulf of Mexico, from the State boundary line on the west to Range
line 4 east of St. Stephens' Meridian line, - the Greenville and Elba Land
District Western boundary lines. Moved to Mobile in 1867.
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICES IN ALABAMA ~ FROM 1868 TO
1879
Huntsville Land District
Embodied all the land South of the Northern boundary line to Township line
14, on the Huntsville Meridian line. Moved to Montgomery by Executive Order
December 19, 1904. Effective March 1, 1905.
The Northern section of the old Mardisville Land District (from the Tennessee
River boundary, South to Township line 12 on the Huntsville Meridian line, was
added to Huntsville January 23, 1872. One and one half Townships of the Centre
Land District was moved to Huntsville September 5, 1896.
Montgomery Land District
Embodied all the land South of Township line 14, on the Huntsville Meridian
line, to line 31 Degrees North Latitude except Mobile District, and in the
Northwest corner 12 miles wide (North and South) and 36 miles wide (East and
West), North of Township line 14 on the Huntsville Meridian line.
Mobile Land District
Embodied all the land South of Township line 10, on the St. Stephens' Meridian
line, to the Gulf of Mexico. The Eastern boundary running along Range line 4,
East of St. Stephens' Meridian line, and bounded on the West by the State line.
Office moved to Montgomery March 28, 1879.